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Examples of Recent Cases

Off-Duty Police Officer Run Over by Car. Our attorneys obtained a $6 million settlement for a young, off-duty police officer who was run over by a car. A treatment center failed to protect her from alcohol on its premises, in violation of its own policies and procedures. This led to a drunk-driving motor vehicle accident where she sustained major injuries. After two years of litigation, the treatment center settled for its insurance policy limits shortly before trial.

Pregnant Woman Run Over by Tow Truck. We obtained a $2 million settlement (present value) with a total expected lifetime payout of over $10 million for a two year old girl whose mother was a pedestrian hit by the truck when she was five months pregnant with her. The mother was treated and released at the local emergency room, and the fetal monitor revealed no immediate signs of injury to the fetus, but when the infant was born, she suffered from a brain injury that left her with global developmental delays, partial blindness, and other serious injuries. Both liability and causation were hotly disputed by the defense, but the policy limits settlement was reached just short of trial.

Boy Loses Fingers on Escalator. Our attorneys represented an eight year old boy who lost three fingers on an escalator at a clothing store. The defense claimed a lack of supervision of the boy, and denied liability for the injury. We obtained $2 million settlement (present value) with a total expected lifetime payout of close to $5 million. The settlement was reached shortly before trial, and after many months of litigation. It has allowed the little boy to move from his poorly performing public school to a private academy, where he is now on the college track and will have the ability to overcome his injury as much as possible.

Father Killed by Truck. We represented the teenage children of a local engineer who was killed when a truck driver pulled into his lane from the side of the road without looking. We were retained by the children just hours before a settlement meeting was to take place with the truck driver’s insurance company. Mr. Black appeared at the settlement meeting and rejected the $400,000 settlement offer made by the insurance company. The case later settled for almost $2 million present value, with a structured settlement providing payments over the plaintiffs’ lifetimes of close to $4 million.

Young Mother Struck and Killed in Crosswalk by Elderly SUV Driver. Our attorneys represented the 6 year old son and 2 year old daughter of a young immigrant woman who was struck and killed in a crosswalk by an elderly woman driving an SUV. Even though the driver had limited insurance available, the case settled for well over a million dollars, with the defendant contributing money above her insurance policy limits.

Motorcyclist Almost Killed by Former Judge Convicted of Felony Drunk Driving. We represented a motorcyclist who was seriously injured when a former Superior Court judge, later convicted of felony DUI in the accident, turned left into the motorcyclist’s path. The case settled for a confidential amount in excess of $1 million.

Wrong Prescription by Pharmacy Causes Stroke. We represented an elderly man who was given an antacid instead of his blood thinning medication by a large chain drugstore. Because he relied on the wrong prescription to protect him from stroke, he suffered a serious stroke. Our attorneys obtained almost $1 million in settlement for the man.

Teenager Molested by Priest. Our attorneys were a part of the historic $660 million settlement against the Archdiocese of Los Angeles arising out of our representation of a plaintiff who was molested by a priest when he was an adolescent. We obtained well more than $1 million in settlement for the plaintiff.

Missed Cancer Diagnosis Causes Nurse’s Death. We represented the family of a nurse whose doctor failed to diagnose a suspicious tumor. Large confidential settlement obtained.

Insurance Company Forced to Pay $800,000 on Claim it Could Have Settled for $15,000. We were asked to take over a case by a family’s previous attorney who had demanded $15,000 (the maximum policy limits of the defendant’s automobile insurance) to settle a wrongful death case against a drunk driver. The insurance company denied the claim improperly, and our attorneys withdrew the $15,000 demand to settle made by the previous attorney, filed suit, and ultimately obtained an $800,000 settlement of the claim from the insurance company, when the defendant only had $15,000 in coverage.

Young Man Broadsided by Cadillac Running Red Light on Videotape. Our attorneys represented a young man who suffered serious injuries when he was broadsided by a Cadillac which ran a red light, all on videotape. The case settled for close to $1 million.

Man Rear-ended Needs Neck Surgery. A man who was rear-ended required neck surgery. We obtained a $250,000 settlement for him.

Motorcyclist Loses Leg When Truck Turns in Front of Him. Our attorneys recently settled the case of an innocent motorcyclist who lost a leg when a pick-up truck turned left in front of him. Though the truck carried low insurance limits, through investigation we were able to establish that the other driver was in the course and scope of employment, thus involving his employer’s large insurance policy. We were able to obtain a seven figure settlement for the injured motorcyclist.

BlackandMachtinger.com has been designed to provide information only and is not intended to offer legal advice. Legal matters need to be evaluated on a case by case basis. Please do not make any decisions about any legal matter without consulting with an attorney first. Nothing in this site is intended to create nor does it establish an attorney-client relationship. The case examples given are not a guarantee of results. Any results or settlements described herein were dependent on the facts of that case and results will differ from case to case.